Many vehicles, such as all terrain vehicles (ATVs), include drive shafts for transmitting rotational force from an engine or motor to one or more wheels. On ATVs having independent-type front or rear suspensions, drive shafts are arranged on opposite sides of the ATV, and usually mirror each other symmetrically about the center of the ATV. When such an ATV moves in one direction, the mirroring drive shafts rotate in opposite directions. It is common to provide rubber boots adjacent to one or both ends of each drive shaft to protect the end joints of the drive shaft from contamination and to contain grease.
Bands are typically employed for use in securing the rubber boots to the drive shaft. However, conventional bands are prone to snagging brush or other debris present beneath the ATV during travel of the ATV. This snagging can result in damage to the band, the boot, the drive shaft, and/or other components of the ATV. For example, FIGS. 8-12 depict a conventional band 130 which includes a ring 138, a lever 142 and a clasp 146. Portions of an inner surface 154 of the ring 138 adjacent to ends 148 and 150 of the ring 138 are attached together at an attachment location 152 such that an inner surface 154 of the ring 138 provides an inner circumference 140 for surrounding a boot. A first surface 158 of a lever 142 is attached to an outer surface 156 of the ring 138 adjacent to the end 148, and the lever 142 is movable from a first position (shown in FIG. 8) to a second position (shown in FIG. 9). Movement of the lever 142 from the first position to the second position results in a reduction of the inner circumference 140 of the ring 138 and resultant tightening of the band 130 around a boot. When in the second position, a second surface 160 of the lever 142 contacts the outer surface 156 of the ring 138.
A clasp 146 is attached to the inner surface 154 of the ring 138. Referring to FIG. 11, the clasp 146 includes a base 162 from which side walls 164, 166 extend. When the lever 142 is in the second position, the side walls 164, 166 of the clasp 146 are bent over the lever 142 to maintain the lever 142 in the second position, as shown in FIG. 10. Each of the side walls 164, 166 has respective top ends 168 and 170 which are substantially straight, and which are configured, when bent, to meet (or nearly meet) along a substantially straight line near the middle of the ring 138, as best shown in FIGS. 10-11. An end surface 144 of the lever 142 protrudes from the clasp 146 and is prone to catching on debris (e.g., brush), particularly when the band 130 rotates in a reverse direction R3 as opposed to a forward direction R4, as shown in FIG. 9.